A dreaded moment in Twitter is finally here, and the company has begun its crackdown on the legacy blue checkmark to remove the verification on their profiles. This is under the company's policy on Twitter Blue which would only allow users to keep their verification checkmarks if subscribed to the company's services, one that costs $8 to $11 per month.
Legacy blue checkmarks are those who had the verification before Elon Musk's time as its CEO and owner, and not everyone was willing to pay for what the company asks for, under its subscriptions.
Twitter Legacy Checkmarks Begins Removing Unsubscribed Users
In the announcement of the company as per Twitter Verified's latest tweet, the meme date 4/20 (April 20) is the day the company begins removing legacy verifications on their profiles, for all those that refuse to pay. Several high-profile individuals have already lost their verification on the platform, including Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Donald Trump, and more.
It is not only with celebrities, but government accounts, journalists, and others have also seen it disappear from their profiles.
However, some hold out against this verification program and still retained their checkmarks, such as LeBron James, Stephen King, and William Shatner. This is because the Twitter CEO confirmed that he is personally paying for their subscriptions, out of his pockets.
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Want the Blue Verification Checkmark on Your Profile? Pay for It
Despite the many callouts and complaints from different personalities and renowned individuals in their field, Twitter is affirming its decision to remove these legacy checkmarks and push for subscribers to regain their verifications.
Twitter is only demanding $8 to $11 from individuals, as well as their verified phone numbers to have the blue checkmark available on their accounts when they sign up.
However, it is a different case for organizations as it would cost them as much as $1,000 per month, with a $50 additional fee for every affiliated account to join in.
Twitter's Verification and Its Issues
When Elon Musk came up on Twitter, the company and social media platform seems to have been doing its normal operations, but the top billionaire shake things up for them. One of the most iconic announcements from late last year was the subscription-based program under Twitter Blue to give verified checkmarks to all.
Musk said that everyone would have a chance to get a verified blue checkmark and this would speed up the process from the previous applications based on their influence and follower base.
However, it took a turn down a dark road, as many users who were willing to pay for it began creating fake accounts that impersonate famous personalities and get the verification, leading to a massive problem on the platform.
Despite previously promising to crack down against misinformation and verified accounts that bring anarchy to the public, it was seen earlier this March that accounts with the blue checkmark are still publishing fake news and information for all to see.
After this issue, Twitter has reinforced that those who do not pay for their verification would see it disappear from their profiles, the so-called legacy blue checkmarks. The day has already come where previously-verified accounts who enjoyed it for free would no longer see it from their profiles on social media, unless they subscribe to Twitter Blue and pay the monthly fee.
Related Article: Will Elon Musk's Ask-Me-Anything for Twitter Blue Subscribers Encourage More to Subscribe?
